Behind the Monster's Eyes
by MidnightEden234
Summary: Was it a sin that he loved? Was it a sin for him to fall for his darker half? Was such a small crime worthy of such a large punishment? Many years afterwards, Shirosaki investigates the legend of a small town in the mountains, said to be haunted by a horrible monster, only to find out that a man lies behind the monster's eyes. Alternate Universe HichiIchi yaoi!
1. Prologue

**I KNOW! I'm starting ANOTHER story, but… I just HAD to POST THIS!**

**And YES I CAN use caps if I WANT TO!**

**So anyways… Hope you guys like this story~! :D**

**Full Summary: It all started long ago with a sin, a curse and a framed man… Hichigo Shirosaki, famous explorer, decides to stop in small village known as Karakura. There he discovers the village is haunted by an ancient evil. What truth lives within the legend of the dreadful monster that's rumored to take refuge in the mountains outside of the village? Hichigo is prepared to find out, though he discovers more than he bargained for.**

**Pairing: HichiIchi**

**Rating: M**

**Rating this Chapter: T**

-=Prologue=-

He released a lengthy sigh, hauling his rug sack off his shoulder. Hichigo was getting a little tired of adventuring, but when the boss said to go to a small town in the middle of nowhere, he went to that small town in the middle of nowhere.

So here he stood, gazing over the three rows of tiny huts that made up this quickly ending town, if you could even call it a town. _More like a village. Don't know why they call it Karakura Town, _Hichigo thought to himself.

Now, in a _village_ this small, everyone knew everyone, so naturally a stranger would arise a few suspicions and questions, possibly a few stares. But when a man with shocking white hair, albino skin and piercing gold-on-black eyes arrives, it arouses every stunned stare possible.

Hichigo ignored them and walked on. He was used to being gazed at like that, it was completely natural to him. He wasn't stupid, he knew how strange his appearance was, but he was who he was and he happened to love the uniqueness of his looks. Hichigo stood tall, approximately 5' 8'', with a lean well-built body. His hair was white, spiky but incapable of standing on-end. His fingernails were black, naturally black, another weird thing about him. But the strangest, and still Hichigo's most favourite, were his eyes. The gold of his eyes shamed the ore itself, it even shamed the molten hot magma of an active volcano. This mysterious shade of yellow was surrounded by black, darker than darkness itself.

Hichigo approached the innkeeper of the inn he was told he would be staying at. A girl turned to him and smiled, obviously expecting his arrival. She extended a hand made up of long, boney fingers and said, "Hi! You must be Hichigo Shirosaki, I'm Orihime Inoue, welcome!"

"Thanks," Hichigo responded, giving the girl a firm handshake while sparring a few seconds to look around. The outside look of this inn gave the inside look no mercy. While the outside was dull and made of old fashioned materials such as hay and logs, the inside was actually quite beautiful. A water fountain sat tucked away in a corner, the crystal clear water inside trickling down a mimicry mountain to the one outside. The wall paper was colored heavy lavender, but it happened to go quite nicely with the dirtied brown tiles on the floor.

"Here's your key," Orihime interrupted his visual scavenger hunt. Hichigo received a copper key, a plastic case outlining the key in red.

"Thank you."

"So…" Orihime murmured shyly, "If you don't mind me prying… why will you be staying here?"

Hichigo smiled. "It's not a problem. I'm staying 'cause I've gotta take picture of this place for my job. We host a photography magazine, and th'boss said this place would be perfect for somethin' like that," Hichigo responded, his accent finally making an appearance in his speech.

"So then, you'll be going up to the mountains then?"

"The _mountains_!?" A female from across the counter cried in protest. "You can**not **go there! It's forbidden, dangerous! No one's come out of there alive!"

"Rukia…" Orihime whined, "It's just a legend. Do you really think-?"

"You know as well as I that there's a monster living atop that mountain." The newly dubbed Rukia cut off Orihime. She turned to Hichigo, her appearance sweet but threatening. "Listen you," she pointed a rolled magazine into Hichigo's face, "If you go up that mountain you're not coming back."

"Why?" Hichigo raised his eyebrow playfully. "Got a secret up there ya don' want people knowin' about?"

Rukia slammed her small fists onto the counter. "I've got nothing to hide! But if you don't want to take advice from a local than you've gotta be stupid! I don't care about you, in fact I don't even know you so I wouldn't care if I never saw you again!"

_Challenge accepted. _"You little brat! You think I'm 'ere 'cause I wanna be? If I had my way I'd be outta here on the next flight, but I got a job t'do. Now maybe you should do your job an' tend to the counter a'ight?"

Rukia's eyes opened wide at Hichigo's response. She gathered up her magazine, turned around and marched off into a back room that clearly read "Employees Only".

Hichigo leaned back with a sigh. "Some customer service ya got 'ere."

Orihime giggled. "Oh, don't mind Rukia. She's just upset that her sister went up there and hasn't returned yet. You scared her pretty good though! No one ever talks back to Rukia!"

"Oh really? Well, guess I'm the first then?"

"Yeah, well besides her older brother."

"Oh. So then, can ya tell me more 'bout this 'monster in the mountains?'"

Orihime nodded. She sat back in her office chair. First stacking some papers, then placing them to the side and returning her attention to Hichigo. "It's an old story, more a myth nowadays. It goes like this; legend tells of a group of people who settled themselves in this land long before our days. These creatures were made of two halves, Yin and Yang. Every man and every woman had a balance of Yin and Yang within themselves, thus always making the correct decisions and living in peace.

"One day, a young man made the choice of allowing his Yin to control his Yang. This resulted in the destruction of the town. Feeling it was necessary; a goddess punished the young man, cursing him to a life of regret and misery atop the mountain. He would live forever, a monster at night, a man by day. He had to live by feeding on the pain and misery of the towns people below, but alas his darkness was removed and destroyed so he would receive no joy from the suffering he caused others.

"Some people still believe there is a monster living within the mountains. Though it's too dangerous to traverse the mountains at night, and the monster blends in with us during the day. Sometimes animals or food go missing, but it's never anything too serious."

Hichigo was intrigued to say the least. He wanted to hear more about this mysterious monster, but his arm was sore and his feet were tired. Thanking Orihime for the information, he dragged his feet up to his room.

Little did Hichigo know, his whole life was about to change.


	2. Chapter One: Person of Interest

-=Chapter One: Karakura Town=-

Light burned my eyes as the morning sun's rays intruded my sleep. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my shoulder which was still sore from last week.

I almost growled at the memory. Shinji, the man who flew me here, had landed somewhere off in Tokyo. He then told me it'd be a one hour walk to Karakura, and there was no wagon to take me there. I was forced to walk two hours more than he said, which didn't surprise me, and by the time I had arrived my bag had left a deep imprint on my arm.

I was able to smile when I saw my pajamas. Every time I wore them I laughed. When I was younger I used to beg my mother to buy me a pair of polka dot pajamas for my birthday. Ten years later she gave me some for Christmas, laughing while telling me that I was the only child who ever wanted clothing instead of toys.

I never got rid of them, and I hadn't grown much in the past three years so they still fit. Just seeing them almost made me forget about the stinging pain in my right shoulder. _Almost._

I stripped down to my boxers and tossed my pajamas onto my bed. I made a mental promise that I'd clean everything up after I got something to eat. After all, I was the idiot who went to bed with no supper.

"Ohaiyo, Shirosaki!" I heard Orihime call, followed by non-stop knocking. I groaned and got on some long black shorts and a grey shirt – it had become surprisingly hot in Karakura.

"You're going to break down the door!" I shouted at Orihime, just before unbolting the lock.

"It got you up, didn't it?"

"Actually I was already awake."

Orihime's eyes widened. "You get up this early? Wow! And here I thought I'd be your wake up call, and that you slept in your clothes…" I pushed past her and went to the stairs as she rambled on. I caught glimpse of the sun and lost my balance. I slipped on the steps and fell, felt my ankle shatter and blacked out when my head hit the wall.

o/o/o

I woke up later, much later. At least a week, I decided, judging on how out of it I felt. I was bombarded with questions from Orihime. A nice lady, Unohana, got everyone to step out of the room and be quiet. She told me I'd been out for a week – like I thought – and that I'd need to stay in bed for another one.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked me after everyone had left. I looked at her, confused, and she explained, "Orihime has a very unrealistic explanation of the events. I highly doubt the sun sent a man to hurt you."

I laughed. "No. I just tripped, that's all. A sudden dizzy spill that came at the wrong time."

"I see… do you usual get dizzy?" She asked, now making me feel like I was getting questioned by a shrink.

"Yes," I nodded. "For as long as I can remember I've felt dizzy in direct sunlight. Don't tell Orihime, I don't want her thinking I'm a Vampire…"

She chuckled. "Oh, no worries. This is a confidential conversation after all."

I nodded and sighed, leaning back into the pillow as I fell asleep.

o/o/o

It was night the next time I woke. The light was on in my room, and I had noticed a cleaning trolley in the doorway.

"Hullo?" I called. "Is someone there?"

I heard something fall, creating an ear shattering noise. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I wake you?"

I winced, feeling my ears throb. "No… no… I don't think so."

"Oh, that's good…" He stepped towards my bed. "I was just trying to clean up."

"I can see that." I smirked at him, watching as his eyes light up, though they seemed so distant and tired for someone with such a young face. "You seem exhausted. Please, pull up the other bed and relax for a bit."

He blinked, as if I'd offered him a million dollars. "Really? You mean it?"

I nodded.

He smiled and did as I suggested, pulling the bed close to mine and lying on his side facing me. "You're so nice… and you look-"

"Scary? Freaky? Like a monster?" I finished for him.

He shook his head. "No, trust me when I say I know what being a monster feels like."

I chuckled. "Let me guess. Got picked on as a kid for that stunning orange hair?"

"Yeah… that and I was kind of a wimp…" He blushed, and I couldn't help but let my grin grow. _Oh, he was so gay, _and I could be such a tease if I wanted to.

"So then, what were you gonna say about me?" I inquired, slowly turning onto my side and letting my body stretch out across the bed. _He was so cute, _trying desperately to be polite and keep eye contact when I knew he wanted to soak in an eyeful.

"I was going to say you looked new here," he replied, stretching his arms above his head so that his shirt lifted up the slightest bit and revealed the slightest bit of sun kissed abs. _Look at that, so there was a man buried somewhere in that kid's body. _"Not many people are nice to me, and I've never seen someone with such _stunning _features."

I chuckled. _I think him and I are gonna be great friends. _"Thanks. So, what's your name kid?"

"Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki. And you are?"

"Hichigo Shirosaki." He grinned at my name, and I narrowed my eyes. "Cute name, berry."

His cheeks turned red. "You got a nice name yourself."

"Thanks."

Oh, there was one more thing you didn't know about me…

"I'm gonna nod off soon. Feel free to sleep yourself." I said while closing my eyes.

I was positively and absolutely gay, and that delicious piece of ass my new friend had just proved it even more. How I wanted him in my arms, to make him mine, and he seemed to like me as well, but that would just have to wait until after we got to know each other a bit more. He was something I'd want for a long time, and I didn't want him thinking we'd be just a one night stand.


	3. Chapter Two: Monster

I woke and he was gone. I sighed and slowly sat up; shrugging off the wires and tubes… apparently they had some work done on me over night, but I never needed to stay for more than a day or two. I was feeling fine so I decided to spare the doctors some time and just sign myself out.

After filling out all the paper work, and requesting a hoodie to keep myself out of the sun, I was allowed to leave. I took the shadiest path back to where I was staying, deciding that I'd better to get some work done. I took my laptop around town, writing about the people, what they do for a living and why they liked living out here so much.

I liked it too. If it wasn't so damn sunny I'd stay here forever. But my hometown is much darker, gloomier too. I don't collapse as easy there.

Anyways, I was approaching the farm when I heard a strange noise. It was almost a scream, but it didn't sound human. Whatever it was, I felt pins and needles rush up my spine. I tucked my laptop away in my bag and ran as fast as I could to where I heard the sound. The first thing I noticed was blood.

It was a small barn, the wood a dark grey due to age. The grass leading up to it was stained red, and a few spooked sheep were tucked away in the corner of a fence.

I knew it was a bad idea to go inside… So I didn't risk it. I took out my camera, turned on the flash and snapped a few pictures before backing slowly out of the area. Locking the gate behind me - as if it would defend me from all or any monsters - I slid on my bag and ran for it. I heard another cry, this one of sorrow and not of fear, but I didn't look back.

o/o/o

"Oh yeah, the big bad monster is here!" Rukia joked, circling the room like she owned the place. (Which maybe she did…)

"Oh come on, Rukia! You know the legends as well as the next person around here!" Orihime insisted.

"So a couple of sheep got killed…" She shrugged. "Happens all the time in towns like this. It was probably just some wolf or something."

"Yeah, or something…" Orihime huffed and went back to cleaning the counter. I smiled awkwardly and went back up stairs. I didn't bother mentioning to them that I had a photo, which probably would have made things worse.

I set the camera down on my bedside table, and then flicked through the images. I stopped at the one of the sheep. Sheer terror consumed my entire being.

The sight was horrible. A mixture of drool and blood dripped off the creature's face, along with half of its cheeks. Elongated black nails stuck out of its finger tips, currently ripping into a sheep. It had a long, thick tail, much like that of a cobra's. What made everything worse was how it was staring right… at…

Me. It was looking at me. Hungrily, angrily, and almost possessively looking at _**me**_.

I turned the camera off and put it back down, supressing all urges to rip out my own brain so I could wipe that image from my mind. _Why!?_ Why did it look that way? And of all things, _**what the hell is it!?**_

o/o/o

A few hours later had me sitting at a table. There was a muffle of men arguing about something, but I hadn't been paying attention. There was something familiar about that picture, something mysterious and intriguing. It reminded me of-

"Will you join us, Shirosaki?"

I blinked, just now realizing that I'd somehow been pulled into this conversation. Five men stood around me, and of them, three were making a trip up the mountain to kill whatever creature that had murdered the farmer's sheep.

I nodded absentmindedly, and that seemed to be enough of an answer. I was handed a back pack filled with necessary elements to get us to the top of the mountain, and we headed out that afternoon after lunch… Lamb chops.

"Sorry that you have to see this." One man, that I'd come to know as Grimmjow, apologized. "Our town isn't usually like this, but you see, we can't have wolves terrorizing the children… It's our job to look after 'em."

"Bull shit." Another man, Renji, interrupted. The third, Ikkaku, laughed as Renji continued, "Grimm here's just in it for the fame, the gals, and the chance t'kill something. He doesn't give a rat's ass about children… or purity, or innocence… and any o'that shit!"

Grimmjow muttered something that I couldn't make out, and Renji smirked triumphantly. We approached a cave, deciding to make a camp here for the night. Ikkaku said that this was higher than where wolves tended to go, so we'd be safe. And once the wolves were driven from the town at early morning, we'd be able to kill the Alpha and the pack would leave.

I left about an hour after everyone was sleeping so I could take a piss. That's when I heard a growl, and it was very apparent that we weren't alone in this cave.

The growl was that of the monster I'd seen earlier. Before I could warn the others, I heard screams and loud ripping noises. I shuddered and fell to the ground, hidden behind a wall of dirt. I heard the monster walk past me and leave the cave. Then I sighed in relief. As the night began to turn to day, I was soon able to see the trail of blood that lead into the back of the cave.

I gulped as I approached what was left of the tents. There was blood everywhere. That thing wasn't there to feed, it was there for the kill. It was then that more ripping sounds came from behind me. I didn't have time to hide, just turn around.

And there stood the creature, the sun shining harshly on its skin. It sizzled and melted like wax, vanishing as it hit the ground. Its pale flesh was replaced with tanned skin, its face flaking away to a young human face… and its fur shrank until nothing but a small mop of orange hair was left.

I stood in horror; this boy in front of me was none other than the monster that had just murdered **three **people. Before he looked at me, I hid behind a large boulder. I calmed my breathing, my heart beat and nerves. I hoped he didn't see me, and judging by the following silence I guess he hadn't.

There were morning birds around the caves, each echo bouncing in a different way through the caves to make an almost haunting melody.

Then I heard a voice, and it wasn't Ichigo.

"You should get some clothes on…" She sounded slightly older, but there was an odd wisdom to her voice that seemed way beyond her years.

"What clothes? I have none left… they're all torn up, burned, or covered in blood." I nearly cried at the overwhelmingly bland tone he had, he obviously didn't care about the situation. I was so scared, my fear getting worse by the second.

I heard some shuffling of the feet, and then the haunting birds came back as the only sound.

"So, is it him?"

Silence again, much more haunting then before.

"I don't know. He has his eyes, so… beautiful."

"You're disgusting."

I swallowed slowly and leaned back against the stone.

I heard Ichigo storm off. He was upset, I could tell, but what was really going on here?

"You can come on out, Hichigo Shirosaki."

o/o/o

**I'm asking for some SERIOUS feedback, please! I'd like to know where I can improve! Chapters will be fixed up according to what you, my lovely readers, see! This applies to all my fics! I'm in the 11th grade now and I really want to be an author, so if you guys don't mind pointing out any mistakes you see, I'd be really appreciative!**


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